Sorry
by Flirtin'WithTheMonster
Summary: "She's a fighter." I'm an idiot. Lizard/OC
1. Chapter 1

I'm so hungry right now.

I poke at the fire in front of me, a hand placed over my stomach as it rumbled at me. No food, and it's been two or three days. I lost track when the car was lost. All we had were our camping supplies right now, and the only thing we could possibly eat was the padding in the bottom of the tent. I looked over at aforementioned tent and almost contemplated cutting the damn thing open and poisoning myself for a full stomach.

"Basura why are you staring at the tent like that?"

I looked across the fire to Sheldon, my fiancé. I was started to contemplate eating him. All we had done was fight and bitch and poke at each other's nerves the entire time we had been stuck out here. I gotta admit, over the fire, he was looking rather hot. His hair was black, a stark contrast to my white waves when we were side by side, and right now it shined blood red thanks to the glow of the flames. His blue eyes danced with flames, making my heart warm a little bit, but my empty stomach overpowered anything else and I growled at him, stabbing at the fire with more anger than before.

"Oh I don't know Sheldon, maybe because you didn't pack enough food like I told you to. I told you to bring about a week's worth, just in case, but oh no you knew better right? You always know better."

He stood up, hands clenched at is sides. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

I glared up at him. "I wanted to spend our pre-wedding week in a tropical place, but you had to drag me out here in the desert," I stood and waved my hands towards the darkness. "There is nothing out here but rocks and sand! What kind of fun can you have out here?! I mean besides preparing yourself for suicide!"

Sheldon flinched. Good, I wanted him to hear my harsh words because they were truly how I felt right now. I didn't want to come out here, I wanted to go to the Bahamas or someplace like that. It's not like I hated the desert or anything, I just didn't want to be here before I got married. I wanted to have a little relaxation and pampering before our big day. I had been planning with his mom, my mom and all of his sisters for that day. He had six sisters, I only have one and we haven't spoke for about three years so it didn't matter. His sisters had poked and prodded me about what the theme would be for a few months. It would be a garden wedding, my dress was beautiful. It was short, knee length, and the skirt was made of peacock feathers, some white and some colored. It was expected to be a lavish wedding and Sheldon had paid for everything, but no matter how much he lavished me for this day I was still angry at him.

Angry because we were in the desert, because we had no food, because I didn't bring a lot of clothes, because my engagement band was too tight, because my dress was in the trunk and because I was just pissed off at him for being so fucking stupid.

"Well I'm sorry I just wanted to spend some time with you away from the world," Sheldon was beginning to pout.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "We could have spent just as much time together at a nice hotel or the beach as we are spending here. At least there we wouldn't be starving and mad at each other, or staying in a shitty tent."

"Ya know what Basura? Fuck you, I'm going to sleep. I'll walk back to the gas station in the morning and get a tow and then I guess we can both go our separate ways."

I watched him stomp off to the tent, chin held high until the flap was zipped shut. I shifted into the darkness and slumped my back against a boulder, knees pointed up and started to cry. This was not how any of this was supposed to go. We were supposed to get a break from the world for about a week then get married and go on our honeymoon to wherever we wanted to go. But now, now we're not even together anymore. I guess I'm sleeping out here tonight. I can't face him after that, I have to stay away from him.

I sighed and wiped the tears away, pushing myself up from the boulder and shoved my hands into the pockets of my daisy dukes. I looked out into the darkness of the desert, lit white by the moon, and squeezed my thighs together. I gotta pee so fucking bad, but I really don't want to go out there in the desert alone. Who knows what I would run into? I could get bit by a rattlesnake or a scorpion and die without Sheldon knowing until it was too late. I groaned, dropping my head back and stomping towards a bush I could barely see. No boulders for me, I need that brown leaf hanging off of one of the measly twig branches. I crouched down, shorts bunched at my ankles as I sighed.

Against my will I started to realize how beautiful the desert was at night. Everything was pale and slightly red, and tonight wasn't as cold as the night before last so I wasn't shaking everywhere. I smiled to myself for a moment and went to pull my shorts up but something grabbed a hold of my wrist and mouth. My eyes grew wide and I screamed into the hand, kicking myself up and towards the camp but it was no use, the hands holding me were too strong. I wasn't really a built woman, I never needed it, I had spent most of my life indoors so I needed no muscles really, only in my thighs for my future baby but that was it and they were doing me no good.

I was slammed into the ground, onto my back, and my chest lurched forward, lungs tightening as my breath left me. My boot heels dug into the sand weakly, no help as my legs were kind of numb. My eyes rolled around desperately in my head as I looked for help, but I didn't see Sheldon outside the tent or truck. I wish I could do something, but my whole body was numb and of no use to me. A silhouette twisted around to straddle me, hand firmly clasped onto my mouth. I saw nothing, just there outline, but I sure as hell felt their tongue run up the side of my face and started to cry.

"The fuck?!"

I was able to jerk my head to see a large black figure jerking Sheldon out of the tent by his leg. Sheldon kicked and cursed, but whoever it was dragging him just laughed this childish laugh and gave one mighty pull, jerking him through the air and sending him flying into our fire. Sheldon's scream was probably the most horrifying thing I have ever heard in my life. his back arched and his hands shook rapidly as they reached through the fire to get to his back. His eyes darted around, looking for me I guess. I reached out, but was too far into the dark, and dug my fingers into the sand, trying to drag myself towards him, but I was so weak. I let my hand flatten against the sand as Sheldon finally saw me. His skin, all exposed now thanks to the fire burning his boxers away, was bright red, black patches littered all over his neck and left leg.

He reached out for me, blood on his palm while the broad man stood over him, a disfigured face smiling down at my fiancé. "Basura…" he choked on blood that came from his lips and flowed slowly into his nose and right eye.

I closed my eyes tightly and felt a tear or two drop down my temple and heard him scream again. The figure over me howled, like a dog, and ground their hips against mine. I could…_feel_ him through his jeans and my shorts. It made me sick and terrified.

"Gonna have som' fun wit cha girly," a gruff voice whispered in my ear as that tongue dug into the canal.

I cringed but didn't pull away, I was paralyzed by fear. He cackled against my ear and jumped up, dragging me with him and finally releasing my mouth so I could take in huge gulps of air. He dragged me towards our camp while the giant dug through our tent, crooning at the stuff he tossed out behind him. I bit back bile as I truly saw Sheldon's now flaming corpse. He had become part of the fire pit now. I looked away, then saw the face of my captor and screamed again.

His eyes were small, but the blue was bright as ice, piercing like a knife or the eyes of a jungle cat. His skin was strange, like it was stretched, but not drooping, and had a few hole in the wrinkles. His hair was wild, gray and almost defying gravity. But what scared me, what made me scream, was the horrible cleft and his crooked jaw. His teeth were strangely white, but still crooked.

"Oh god let me go please! Please!" I begged, jerking my arm a little.

He held fast and growled, jerking me against his side. "Hell naw girly, wanna ya." He leered at me grossly and I shivered. He jerked his head towards the giant with him as he fiddled with Sheldon's engagement band. "Get em and we go home, Papa hungry."

I quivered and noticed his relaxed grip. I took off into the desert, huffing it in the opposite direction we had come from in the car. My lungs were beginning to sting after a few minutes but I had to push through the pain. I couldn't be caught by them. No, I just can't. What the fuck were they anyway? Mutants? I had heard of people going missing in the desert, huge groups of people ya know, military officers and everything, but I didn't think it was this desert. I wonder if my cousin was out here…

I went zero to sixty and hit the ground, gasping in pain again as my forehead bounced against the sharp rocks. Dust flew past me and the toe of black combat boots entered my vision. I looked up, gasping for breath, and saw the one with the cleft leering down at me.

"'Tupid," he spat and reached down, jerking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.

I screamed against his back, seeing the giant dragging Sheldons cooked corpse behind him, and then began to cry. "Please! Please just let me go! Please you have to, I was supposed to be getting married!"

He cackled and smack my ass. I tensed up at the contact, how it stung. "Like I said, 'tupid."


	2. Chapter 2

I groaned into the soft surface beneath me, blinking my heavy eyelids. It was still dark outside, but through the hazy window I could see a haze of dark purple. I twisted my wrists behind my back, wincing when pain shot up my arms. I rocked myself and rolled my body over to my back, staring up at the popcorn ceiling. A piece fell from the dusty ceiling and landed on my cheek, bouncing away and making no noise as it rolled off the bed. All I could smell was rust and mold, it had to be this blanket I was laying on. I easy lying on a patch of light mold, I could see it out of the corner of my eye and winced again in disgust.

I felt a tear leak across my temple and squeezed my eyes shut, feeling a new tear following it. I open my eyes, mouth gaping like a fish as I swallowed a sob, sputtering a little before I could calm myself down again. I still blame Sheldon, even though he's dead. I was right, we shouldn't have left the house. We should have stayed home, we should have went to the Bahamas like I said before. He got himself and I captured. Lord only knows what they were going to do to me. But how can I blame a dead man for something he didn't know would happen? God that makes me a huge bitch. I closed my eyes again for a moment, a few tears falling before my eyes shot open when I heard the thumping footsteps coming towards me, well towards the door that was separating me from those things.

The cracked wood flew open, thumping and bouncing against the peeling wallpaper and making a piece flutter down to the floor. There was a tall man standing there, he wore a long black trench coat and had a scraggly gray and black peppered beard. His hair was long and greasy, I could smell him from here and he smelt like blood. I swallowed and froze, like a deer caught in the headlights of a semi.

"Name?"

I jumped at the sound of his gruff voice. I swallowed hard. "Basura."

He nodded and took a step forward, almost as though he was trying to keep me calm. "My name is Papa Jupiter, my son Lizard and his cousin Pluto are th' ones that brought ya her'. I am sorry if they hurt you."

I swallowed hard, a little angry, a little scared. "I'm not the one that was hurt, they killed my fiancé Sheldon."

He nodded. "I know, anyway, I am going to get ma wife Big Mama to feed ya tonight and if you can be trusted, we promise not to hurt ya but ya must stay here."

My throat clenched. "I can't stay here," I whispered.

He shook his head, walking towards the door. "Yeah, yeah ya can."

I watched the door shut and then screamed at the top of my lungs. No, no I could not stay here. I had a family expecting me, us, but Sheldon is dead. I needed to tell my family what happened, I needed to get home. I rocked myself onto my side and cried into the moldy blanket. Fuck, of course this happens and I can't leave. I wanted to be home, I wanted to be in my bed, my big pillow top surrounded by mosquito netting and the smell of oleanders. My home had been my prized possession. It was all mine, every little detail. The only thing in the house that had any trace of Sheldon was my dresser and the bathroom on the second floor. And now…now I'm stuck somewhere in the desert, stuck here with mutants and I can't do anything about it. Maybe if I got on their good side I could get untied and run away, get help.

I heard the door creak open and somehow shot up into a sitting position. There was a large woman standing there, a tray of food in her chubby hands. I noticed the thin figure hiding in her side, I mean the bright red hoodie really stuck out like a sore thumb. I swallowed hard as the woman and I locked eyes, not backing down. I know what this is and it makes me wonder how many feral people there are out here. This was a dominance thing, she was seeing if I was weak and I was not.

After a moment she smiled at me and I relaxed, slowly though. She set the tray on a table next to the bed while the figure in red disappeared into the closet, I guess it was a closet, and the woman sat in a chair near the bed.

"My name is Big Mama, I see you've already met Lizard and Pluto, sorry about that by the way. Lizard is the rough one, Pluto is really a sweety." She started to cut a piece of fish into bite sized bits.

I wanted to question the fish but was focused on something else. "Sweet? He threw my fiancé into a fire and laughed while he burned. I don-" she stuffed a piece of fish in my mouth.

She shook a finger at me. "Now now I wasn't finished talking. Pluto is a sweety, outside of hunting. When that comes up he's as mean and tough as a bear. He doesn't hurt women though, Lizard is the one that does that." her violet eyes darkened at that.

I flinched and swallowed. "Why can't I leave?"

She shook her head a little and stuffed another piece of fish into my mouth. I chewed slowly, my mouth watering at how delicious this fish is. It surprised me a little bit. "You can't leave because that risks the family. We will give you some liberties, but you can never leave, I am truly sorry about it."

I swallowed. "Liberties?"

"Papa will talk to you about that later, right now I need you to eat and I will get someone to get you to a shower. Ruby there has a dress I'm sure you can fit into but you will stay in this room until Papa thinks you can be trusted."

I sighed and leaned back, chewing on a new piece of fish. "I guess…I guess I have no choice right?"

Her eyes were sad on me as she pressed the neck of a water bottle to my lips. God this water tasted like I think gold would. I had been so hungry, if my hands weren't tied I would totally just pour the whole plate of food down my throat. I noticed the red figure I guessed was Ruby coming from the closet and stared at the dusty white dress that she laid across the bed, smoothing out the skirt. She was pretty, for a mutant, her eyes were off center and her fingers were fused on one hand but really I didn't notice those things until I looked for them. I swallowed my bite of fish and opened my mouth to speak but instead froze when I heard a familiar voice yell through the house.

"Where the fuck is she?!"

I looked to the door as Big Mama stood and tensed when I heard the footsteps on the floorboards. The door swung open not even bouncing off the wall because the handle had lodged itself into the wood of the wall.

"Dammit Lizard, you put another hole in the wall," Big Mama scolded, walking over and jerking the door from the wall. She ran her fingers over a wide hole and tsked, letting the door go and glaring at her son. "You are going to fix this, I am so done with it. And if you touch her I myself will hurt ya."

Lizard glared at his mother and growled, looking to me. "She mine, I can do what I wan'."

I prickled and bared my teeth at him. "I'm not a fucking dog, I am NOT yours you filthy vermin."

He growled and jumped up on the bed, a spike strip curled around his chest but I was more focused on the shiny pistol in his hand that was pointed at my forehead. "You mine, girly, don't you think ya ain't." He growled, cleft lip gleaming at me.

I glared. "Hell no."

He flipped the pistol around and struck me in the left cheek with the butt of the gun. I gasped in pain and flipped to the floor, cracking my cheek against the edge of the chair Big Mama had been sitting in. The chair fell on my back, making more pain blossom through me but I was strangely more concerned with the worn toe of a boot coming into my vision. I looked up into those cold blue eyes and whimpered, tucking my head away.

He laughed in a sick way. "Told ya yer mine."


	3. Chapter 3

_Holy cow I got a review! And yes I know her name means 'trash', I have a reason for this and sometime in the future hopefully you will get to know it, all depends if you stick with my story long enough._

My eyelids fluttered open, a tear sliding out when I saw the peeling yellow wallpaper flood my vision. I was still here, in this hole in the middle of the desert wit these mutants. I rocked myself onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, twisting my wrists together against my pelvis. I lifted my hands up to my eyes, cringing when I saw the red, raw, bleeding lines wrapping my wrists under the worn ropes. I dropped my hands again and sighed, closing my eyes. I don't know how long I've been here, maybe three days. I've been sleeping most of the time, eating others and praying that _he_ wouldn't come back for me.

I heard a creak and looked towards the door, seeing _him_ standing there. I whimpered and tried to worm my way away from him, but it was to no avail, he was there in a second, his hand encircling my ankle. I didn't scream, that would do no good, when he jerked me towards him, successfully encircling himself in my limp legs. I whimpered and turned my head to the left, closing my eyes when his fingers kneaded the tender flesh of the inside of my right thigh, his other hand moving up my chest to grab onto my neck. I swallowed heavily, the lump getting stuck for a moment between his calloused fingers before it slid through and he was breathing huskily against my ear lobe. He snickered under his breath, giving my neck a slight squeeze that had my pulse thrumming through my neck. He ran a tongue up my sweaty throat, groaning as he grinded himself against the side of my calf. I whimpered again when he slid his fingers against the cotton of my panties, reluctantly sending me into a slight fever. It had been so long…

"Lizar'!"

He jumped off of me and twisted around, I sat up a little, tears streaming into the hollow of my throat, and I saw Big Mama standing in the doorway, breathing heavily and rapidly with her fists against her hips. I could hear Lizard swallow thickly and he shuffled to the side, away from me.

"Out," she ordered, pointing her finger towards the staircase.

He growled and cast a glance at me before he stomped from the room, hands balled into fists. Big Mama watched him leave before she turned back to me, eyes filled with stranger concern. She moved to my side, moving me further up on the bed and helping me prop myself up with pillows. I groaned at the way my back stretched. I hadn't sat up in two whole days. I watched Big Mama work around me, sweeping a little and moving around some framed pictures that were on the tiny shelves around the room. I noticed the way her eyes flickered to the door way every few minutes, as if she were waiting for Lizard to come back.

"Are you ok Big Mama?" I asked in a gentle tone.

She jumped a little and then looked over at me, sighing. "Yes dear, I'm fine. Just…Papa ain't been home all night. Never been gone this long without letting me know."

Concern for her lover, it was so human. "I'm sure he's fine. Ruby told me he's the toughest."

Big Mama shook her head and leaned the cracked handle of her broom against the wall, shuffling around to sit in the chair beside the bed. "Nah, Lizard strongest. Always has been, always will be. That why Papa want to give the clan to him before somethin…happens."

I swallowed thickly. "Oh," real smart reply Basura.

Big Mama smiled at me a little and reached up, brushing a slick strand of white from the corner of my eye. "I used to have so much hair like you."

I stared for a moment, at her head, and then met her dark violet eyes again. "Can I ask what happened?"

She sighed. "What happens to all of us eventually, the radiation that's still here…it come in through the water and ground. Can't stop it, can't escape from it."

"Like Lizard," I whispered.

She chuckled and stood back up. "Yep, just like Lizar'"

I watched her walk towards the door for a moment before I spoke up. "Is Lizard your son?"

She froze, head down. When she looked back at me I saw the hollow look in her eyes and tensed up. "Lizard…Lizard is a special boy."

She shut the door behind her quietly and I nearly screamed when I saw Ruby standing behind the door. She wasn't really a talker, then again neither was I but when we were together we opened up. I shared too much with this girl, I guess my mind had come to terms with the fact that I would never get out of this valley alive. I had thought through a lot of scenarios and none of them ended with anything good. Ruby looked around and walked over to sit in the chair beside me, playing with her malformed fingers.

"Lizar' is specfal…" she muttered under her breathe. She looked up at me through her greasy bangs and swallowed. "I know where Papa is, he don't want Mama ta know."

My eyes sparkled. "Where is he?"

She smiled a little. "Getting a ring fer her."

"A ring?"

She nodded. "Uncle Hades said he got a girl in the other night…" she seemed hesitant to speak about it.

And I didn't really like to hear about the innocent people dragged through these hills day and night, but Ruby was innocent and had nothing to do with any of it so I couldn't write her off as one of the evil ones. I tolerated it when she spoke about the men and women killed and robbed around here.

"It's ok Ruby, I don't mind just tell me."

She looked at me for a moment. "He got a girl…said she was getting merried or somethin'. She was wearin a ring, big diamond."

I turned away from her, signaling for her to stop talking. I didn't want to hear it, didn't want to hear anything from her. It was like me, I was going to be married to. I'm sure her fiancé was dead just like mine. I looked down at my left hand, flexing my long fingers with the wedding band shifting a little thanks to how thin my fingers were getting. I was losing weight because I had started to reject the food. I wanted to die, I don't want to be here. I looked back to the wall when I heard Ruby standing, didn't look away until the door clicked shut softly. I don't want to talk to anyone today, but Big Mama will be in here soon and I can't ignore the woman that was essentially keeping me from being violated. I stared at my toes, wiggling them a little, and noticed the scabs forming between my big and second toe. I flexed them again before I sighed and leaned back, closing my eyes.

Maybe…just maybe I can die right here. Maybe this is all a dream, maybe I really am in my bed, just stuck on a loop, or floating in R.E.M sleep, somewhere on the line of insanity and paranoia. I opened my eyes, saw the ceiling and cringed, closing my eyes again. I wanted to go home, I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be back home with my mom and dad, with Sheldon even.

My eyes opened slowly when I heard a commotion downstairs. It sounded like Big Mama and Papa Jupiter arguing, but I couldn't make out any words until the end.

"Lizard no!" Big Mama cried.

I stiffened when I heard the footsteps on the stairs, whimpering as I pushed myself back. No, please no. The door flew open, slamming against the wall and sticking again. He growled and grabbed a hold of my ankle like the first time, pulling me around him and he pulled out a large knife.

My eyes grew. "No! Please!"

"Shut up," He growled, reaching the knife up my chest.

I watched him saw through the ropes holding my wrists together and my heart beat slowed as I looked up into his icy eyes. "What are you gonna do to me?" I whispered.

He sneered. "Everythan'."


	4. Chapter 4

_Holy shiznits I am so sorry it took me so long to update! My internet got disconnected at my house and we just got it back on today._

* * *

I screamed into the bandana stuffed into my mouth, arching my chest up towards the ceiling, but it was useless. My wrists and ankles were tied tightly to the bed posts and there was no way I was getting away from Lizard now. He leered up at me from the end of the bed, sliding the sharp blade of his knife across the bottom of my foot. I screamed into the gag again, tears leaking down my temples and into my sweaty hair. He cackled and moved forward, climbing onto the bed so he could sit up on his knees. He shrugged is vest off and it crumpled somewhere on the floor. His chest was strange, visibly hard and matched the texture of his face, which was the foulest looking thing to me right now.

He cackled lowly and slid the blade up the inside of my thigh, drawing blood and making me scream yet again. I writhed beneath him, heat pulsing through me. Where was Papa Jupiter? Where was Big Mama? Was there anyone here to save me? He flung the blade back over his shoulder, it hit the wall and clatter to the floor while he kneaded my thighs, working his way towards the crotch of my panties. He gave an extra painful squeeze along my cut that he caused, sneering when I cried out again. I slumped back into the sheets, my chest heaving hard as he cupped my hot sex. I was on fucking fire, I honestly wish he would just fuck me. I really needed it, even in this place with him.

And of course, like every FUCKING time, someone slams the door open. I watched the doorknob roll across the floor and look up into Papa Jupiters stone eyes. "Boy, how many times ya Mama told ya to stay the fuck away from 'er?!" he bellowed.

"Papa!" Lizard cried, holding his hands up against his face.

Papa Jupiter swung his big left hand around and smacked Lizard across the head, sending him flying into the wall where he slumped, panting low and obviously in too much pain to get up. He just whined lowly in his throat, shivering against the wall. My eyes were wide as I watched this, twisting my wrists slowly. I jumped when my ankles came loose, saw Papa Jupiter walking around the bed.

"Sorry bout him…" Jupiter muttered, gruff voice strangely soft as he worked on the knot against my right wrist.

I swallowed hard. "I-It's ok." What else could I say.

"Well he won't mess wit cha anymore I promise you that."

Once both of my wrists were free and pushed myself up and to my knees, gingerly rubbing my raw wrists. "Is he ok?" I jerked my chin at Lizard slumped against the wall.

Jupiter looked over at him, grunted and turned back to the door. "Nah, he hurt. we just leave em there, come wit me."

I slid from the bed slowly, eyes on Lizard as he glared up at me through his gray hair. I squeaked a little and hurried to catch up with Papa Jupiter. We walked down a set of stairs and through a dusty foyer. There was a fifties styled table beside the door, dust covered fake sunflowers on the table beside a pile of key chains. There was a Winnie-the-Pooh key chain on top, the large google eyes of Tigger staring at me. I shivered and looked over my shoulder, towards the kitchen Papa Jupiter was walking into. I followed behind him closely, worried about Lizard reappearing for me.

The kitchen was large, its sink in the island in the center of the room. The old steel of the sink was stained with blood and so were some parts of the floral patterned, blue wallpaper. Some of the wallpaper was peeling up at the bottom, revealing brown stained dry wall. There was a small girl sitting at the table in the left corner of the room, coloring in the faces of women in magazines. Big Mama was fondling (that's what it looked like to me) a strip of meat so it would fit in the pot of boiling water in front of her. She jumped a little when Papa Jupiter appeared beside her, picking up a large knife and just settling with cutting it in half.

Big Mama noticed me and looked over her shoulder, smiling at me slightly. "Hey there hon," she went to stir the boiling pot in front of her. "Yer wrists look awful."

I looked down at my wrists and rubbed them again, wincing slightly, "Yeah, they feel awful. So um…I'm not complaining or anything but why did you let me go?"

Papa Jupiter looked over at me. "We takin ya over to see Big Brain."

I slid down into a seat at the corner table, smiling at the small girl before I looked back over at Big Mama. "Who's Big Brain?"

Papa Jupiter slid the knife Big Mama had used to cut the meat into his coat pocket and turned to look at me with those piercing eyes. "Ya find out when we get ya over there," he looked over at Big Mama but she didn't look up from her pot. "I gotta go talk ta Goggle bout somethin real fast. Ya make sure she stay here alright?"

She nodded, narrowing her eyes at the pot. "Need more basil…"

I stood and started going through the cabinets, flinching at the blood stains across the doors. In opened one cabinet and my face instantly paled at the sight. There was a hollow skull sitting atop one of the tea cups in there. But it wasn't completely clean, there was still some flesh clinging to the top of it and across the cheeks. It was disgusting. I shut the cabinet and moved to the next, bracing myself for any new gore but all I saw was one row of spices. I smiled a little and picked up the thing of half empty basil and handed it to Big Mama.

She smiled and took it from me gently. "Thank ya dear," she unscrewed the cap and started pinching some out. "Now where is Lizard?"

My smile fell and I swallowed hard, rubbing at my raw wrists gently again. "He's uh…well I guess he's still up there on the floor."

"Sorry we been letting him actually get to ya honey. He don't listen ta me when his Papa is around."

"It's ok I guess…" I looked around the room. "So what's her name?" I pointed at the small girl sitting at the table.

Big Mama looked over at the small girl then back to the pot, turning the heat down. "Name's Venus, her brotha Mercury's round here somewhere."

"Who's kids are they?"

"Mine."

So she doesn't want to talk to me. Well all she had to do was say something. I moved over to the door and leaned against the door frame, looking into the other room through the foyer. I looked over my shoulder at Big Mama and bit my lip walking through the foyer and into the next room. It was a living room, the walls red with dusty white floral print. There was a couch against the far wall, done in a fifties fashion with the short wooden legs slanted outwards. There was a large table behind it covered in picture frames. I moved around the couch and stood in front of the table. I lifted one frame up and wiped the dust away with my fingers. There was a young boy that looked an awful lot like Lizard standing beside the swings outside, smiling with his arms held up like he was flexing.

I chuckled a little and set it back in its place, moving to the next picture. This was defiantly Lizard, but younger and thinner. He was working on a generator against the side of a house, waving the camera away with his hand.

"Clair took that 'ne."

I jumped and set the frame down, looking over at my shoulder. Lizard stood across the room, in the doorway. The side of his face Papa Jupiter struck was swollen and slightly purple. He shifted awkwardly in place, looking all around the room, everywhere except at me. I swallowed hard and turned around fully, looking down.

"How do you know what picture I was looking at?"

"Jus know," he mumbled, turning around and leaving.

I stood there for a few more minutes, shuffling in place like he had before I heard the front door open. I moved around the couch and jogged towards the foyer. Papa Jupiter was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, back to me until he heard my feet thump against the floorboards. He grunted and motioned for me to follow him and I did, holding onto the door as I squinted against the suns rays. It was bright as fuck outside, making my eyesight blurry for a moment. I blinked a few times and started stumbling after Papa Jupiter's tall form. I looked to my left and right, seeing nothing but desert stretching past the end houses. The swing set was sitting beside the house we were walking into, a limping man was placing children mannequins into the seats. He looked up when he heard us and growled at me sort of, showing off his yellow, pointy teeth for a second. I looked away, just in time to because if I would have stared at him a moment longer I would have tripped over the edge of the porch and bust my ass.

Papa Jupiter opened the door for me and pushed me through roughly, looking around wildly before he ducked in behind me. I let him pass me and followed him through the dark hallway. We walked through the darkness, me shaking and wishing I could grab onto his coat for safety. But he wouldn't like that, and honestly I wouldn't like that either. I don't want to be here…but I know I wouldn't be able to make it out of these hills without them getting a hold of me so I mine as well get used to living here. That meant getting used to the people that lived here. I needed to get along with them, I needed to do some serious ass kicking to get along with everyone here.

"Big Brain, here she is," Papa Jupiter stepped aside when we got to the end of the hallway, waving me forward.

I stepped into the room, my eyes wide and on the man that was in the chair. I guess he was a man, he looked more like just a giant lump of skin. His head was bulbous and hanging from the back of the wheelchair he was in and he had a matt of sweaty hair hanging from it. He had a large lump in his throat that seemed to give him a hard time with his breathing because he was wheezing and twitching.

He raised a finger to me, reminding me of a mutated E.T. "Come here," he wheezed out.

I swallowed hard and took a step forward, close enough for his finger to run across my arm. It sent a shiver through me and I wanted to blanch but bit my tongue and stood straight, trying to calm the shaking going on through me. I took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his scrutinizing blue eyes. He abruptly dropped his hand and his eyes flashed over to Papa Jupiter.

"Keep 'er."

And that was all he said before Papa Jupiter was draggin me back down the hallway, fingers threaded tightly around my elbow. I stumble alongside him, cringing when my feet slipped beneath me a couple times. Papa Jupiter growled and I caught my footing, looking up at him when he pushed open the door.

"What are you going to do with me?" I whimpered.

Now when had I asked that before?

He stopped on the edge of the porch, breathing deeply before he looked down at me. "You learn."


End file.
